50 Things to Love About Toronto: 40-31

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What we love about this great city.

While the rest of the country may have resentment towards us Torontonians from time to time, we have nothing but pride for our city. Our music, arts & culture, fashion, compassion and world-class innovation are just a few of the things that make our city special.

Although this is a numbered list, it is not intended to be a definitive ranking. It was designed to provide entertainment and elicit some spirited debate, so read up and let us know your thoughts! (Full list here)

40. Our selection of food delivery options

With options like UberEats, Just Eat, Menu Palace, and Foodora, you can get almost anything delivered in time for dinner in Toronto.

39. Bunz Trading Zone

From Bunz Mom Emily’s tomato can request, birthed the ever-so-popular Bunz Trading Zone. Once a Facebook page affectionately named Bums Trading Zone, this now multi-city app has made trading your used/new goods or services simple and fun. This barter system has few boundaries. While some people post used bike locks in search of houseplants, other trolls post their Ziploc bags of ketchup packets in the hopes of trading it for something they need. The only rule is: no money allowed!

38. The Maple Leafs are Young and Good Again

It’s been a long 10 years for Toronto Maple Leafs fans, with just one unforgettably disappointing playoff appearance since 2004. Now, the “Shanaplan” has the Blue and White competitive again. 2016 first overall pick Auston Matthews already appears poised to take his place among the league’s best players, while youngsters Mitch Marner and William Nylander and goaltender Frederik Andersen have also helped propel the Maple Leafs into relevancy once again. Get back on the bandwagon, quick.

37. Our Parks

Fancy a picnic at Trinity Bellwoods? Or we can hang at High Park and then head to The Scarborough Bluffs Park for a day in the sun. Whether you’re meeting up to chill or catch Pokémon with your phone, in Toronto you’re bound to run into someone you know.

36. Toronto Flower Market

Perfect peonies, timeless tulips and sweet sunflowers are just a few of the abundant beauties you can nab at the Toronto Flower Market. If you are a flower enthusiast or just looking for that perfect bouquet for your beau, you’re sure to find something special. Open once a month, you can find the flower market at CAMH’s Shaw park. Check their website for more info.

35. Hollywood North

What does Orphan Black, Suits, Degrassi and Suicide Squad all have in common? Well, they were filmed in Toronto of course! Toronto is a huge player in the North-American film industry, where hundreds of movies and TV shows come up north to shoot for a “New York-esque” backdrop and to save money with tax credit payoffs. Not to mention TIFF, one of the biggest film festivals in the world, turns September in Toronto into a stargazing fest.

34. Our Food Festivals

Eat like a bougie queen/king every Summerlicious and Winterlicious. Or you can enjoy the food of many authentic meals of varying cultures at Taste of the Danforth, Taste of Asia, Ribfest and many more food festivals. Not to mention a plethora of free food in Toronto (like when the city basically shut down over free mac and cheese).

33. Toronto Zoo

Zoos can be a lightning rod for controversy, but The Toronto Zoo ranks among the best in the world in terms of how it treats its animals. Jia Panpan (meaning Canadian Hope) and Jia Yueyue (meaning Canadian Joy) are adorable twin panda cubs that have met everyone from Toronto’s Mayor to our Prime Minister himself. The sister and brother bear arrived in 2013 and are quickly becoming world celebrities.

32. There’s an App for Everything

What do you need? There’s literally an app for everything in Toronto. Need to find the nearest fountain to refill your water bottle? Try Quench. Need those eavestroughs cleaned and have no idea where to find someone? Jiffy has you covered. Find your way around the city with City Mapper, and avoid parking tickets with apps from Green P and Honk Mobile.

31. Buskers and Street Performers

Toronto is a cool place where stuff like this happens when casually venturing to the Eaton Centre. Fire-eaters, acrobats, skillful street artists and more encompass many of Toronto’s talented buskers. What’s even more impressive is that we have an entire festival dedicated to bringing our homegrown talent and international buskers from all over the world together at Buskerfest in early September!